Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a former NBA player and founder of Change & Impact, visited Binghamton University on Feb. 3 to give a guest lecture to students at Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Division of Speech and Language Pathology.

Kidd-Gilchrist is a University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball Champion and was the second-overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft selected by Michael Jordan, then-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, now the Charlotte Hornets. He played as a small forward and power forward for the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets and Dallas Mavericks over his eight-year career before retiring from the NBA in 2021. He is focused on furthering his vision for Change & Impact, his non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care access and expanding resources for individuals who stutter.

Kidd-Gilchrist discussed his experience growing up stuttering and how he seeks to improve this experience for the stuttering community during his presentation, part of a required course for students in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program.

“My relationship with my speech therapist was a great one; it was a real bond,” said Kidd-Gilchrist in his presentation. “Many people who stutter don’t have resources; they don’t have any help, so I appreciate your work.”

Kidd-Gilchrist and his family moved to Washington, D.C. after learning that speech therapy for people who stutter is “not covered by insurance firms all the time.” For several years, he was a citizen lobbyist on Capitol Hill, where his advocacy helped establish Congress’s Bipartisan Unified Voices Caucus in 2023.

Cody Dew, director of the Division of Speech-Language Pathology at Decker College, planned Kidd-Gilchrist’s visit to the University and said incorporating lived experience into the program is foundational to learning.

“Bringing in advocates like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist reinforces something we strongly believe: the people we serve are the experts of their own experiences,” Dew wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream. “Hearing directly from individuals who stutter adds depth and authenticity that cannot be replicated in a textbook or lecture.”

Kidd-Gilchrist regularly presents to aspiring speech-language pathologists as a part of the Change & Impact Stuttering Awareness Tour. The organization also partners with agencies to provide free speech therapy services for children and teens who stutter and hosts events for the community. So far, the organization has helped pass legislation in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Nevada and New York mandating that health insurance companies provide coverage for speech-language treatment. Kidd-Gilchrist told students earlier this month that he hopes all fifty states join in.

At the lecture, Kidd-Gilchrist opened up about his life and past experiences dealing with bullying, telling students about personal moments from when he was teased at school growing up and in the NBA.

Through events like Kidd-Gilchrist’s visit, Dew aims to continue blending clinical science with lived experience to train speech-language pathology students not only to be technically skilled clinicians but also to approach their practice thoughtfully and ethically. Dew also plans to have Rodney Gabel, a professor of speech and language pathology, who founded the Division of Speech and Language Pathology in 2019 and also has a stutter, serve as a guest lecturer in the future.

“These experiences help students develop humility, empathy, and a broader understanding of their professional role,” Dew wrote. “Not just as clinicians in a therapy room, but as advocates within larger systems. Our department has invited practicing SLPs from our community, individuals with lived experience, and advocates who support the populations we serve — and we fully intend to continue doing so in the future.”